Daijiworld Media Network - Doha
Doha, Mar 4: Qatar has announced the arrest of two alleged cells operating on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intensifying regional tensions amid the ongoing conflict.
According to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), ten suspects were detained. Seven were allegedly tasked with spying on “vital and military facilities” in Qatar, while three were assigned to carry out sabotage operations.
“During interrogation, the suspects admitted their affiliation with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and that they had been tasked with espionage missions and sabotage activities,” QNA reported.
Authorities said they recovered coordinates and locations of sensitive facilities, along with communication devices and technological equipment from the suspects’ possession.
The arrests come as Iran has reportedly launched retaliatory strikes across parts of the Gulf following joint military actions by the United States and Israel. Tehran has maintained that it is targeting US assets in the region, though civilian infrastructure, including airports and hotels, has also been affected.
Qatar’s Ministry of Defence stated that since Saturday it has detected the launch of three cruise missiles, 101 ballistic missiles and 39 drones towards its airspace. While the country’s air defence systems intercepted and destroyed the incoming threats, officials said the attacks were not preceded by any formal notification from Tehran.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari said Doha was “surprised by these unjustified attacks,” adding that attempts to strike Hamad International Airport were successfully thwarted. “The missiles were downed by our defensive measures, and none of them reached the airport,” he said.
The spokesperson added that nearly 8,000 people were stranded in Qatar due to airspace closures triggered by the conflict.
Meanwhile, Oman, which had been mediating talks between Iran and the United States prior to the escalation, has renewed calls for de-escalation. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said diplomatic avenues remain open and urged efforts toward a ceasefire.
In Washington, US President Donald Trump expressed solidarity with Gulf nations and blamed Iran for the attacks, stating that regional countries had no role in the conflict.